'HMPV an existing virus, nobody wants to create panic': Karnataka Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao

He emphasised that HMPV has existed 'for a long time', causing flu-like symptoms of cold and cough. 'It is a self-limiting virus, so it goes away after some time,' Dinesh Gundu Rao said.

Bengaluru: Karnataka Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao on Monday noted that HMPV is not a cause for concern as it is an existing virus, and it is not right to say that the first cases of HMPV have been reported in Karnataka.

Speaking to media persons on Monday, he said, “Reports have come out that this is the first case of HMPV in India, which is not true because HMPV is an existing virus and a certain percentage of people get affected by it and it is not something new”.

Referring to the case of an eight-month-old infant testing positive for the virus, he said that the child had no travel history.

“They (the family) are local people and they are not coming from China or Malaysia or another country. So I do not think there is any connection to that. China’s outbreak is, they’re saying, (because of) a new variant of HMPV. We don’t have the full details, and the government of India is yet to provide the full details to us and maybe they’re also trying to get more information,” he said.

He emphasised that HMPV has existed “for a long time”, causing flu-like symptoms of cold and cough. “It is a self-limiting virus, so it goes away after some time. I don’t think we should be calling it the first case. I think it is the wrong way of reporting it,” he added.

China situation being monitored

Gundu Rao also said that the Centre is looking at the issue and nobody wants to “create an unnecessary storm or create panic”.

“What is happening in China is something they (the Centre) are monitoring. I have told our officers to have a word with ICMR and the government of India… to see if any other new information has come and any further steps we have to take,” he said.

He noted that it has yet to be decided if this is a serious public health concern, and if PCR tests are required. “I don’t think we should simply start testing. We have to also first know what strain is in China. That information has to come first,” he said, adding that people need to take the usual precautions as they would for any viral infections.